Different lineup, still a loss for White Sox
TORONTO -- Different look, same result.
After scratching out just 5 runs in the first three games against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen changed up the lineup for Monday night's series finale.
Orlando Cabrera was moved up to the leadoff spot and Carlos Quentin was elevated to Cabrera's usual No. 2 spot.
Slumping leadoff man Nick Swisher dropped to No. 6, ahead of Pablo Ozuna, who was filling in at third base for Joe Crede (migraine).
Instead of breaking out of a prolonged slump, the Sox dropped a 1-0 decision to the Blue Jays, ending their road trip with 6 losses in as many games.
The White Sox loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against Jays closer B.J. Ryan. But Ozuna grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the game.
"It was a heartbreaker," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Everybody got excited a little bit because we finally got something going and, all of a sudden, the double play ends it."
It was Toronto's first four-game sweep since May 2003, against the New York Yankees. The White Sox scored just 5 runs in the series, batting .130.
The only run Monday came in the seventh inning, when Matt Stairs led off with a home run against hard-luck Sox starter Javier Vazquez. Stairs was a career was 1-for-29 against Vazquez before breaking the scoreless tie.
"I got lucky," Stairs said. "He threw a curveball and probably wanted to bounce it. He kept it up a little and it was down in that hockey swing."
Toronto starter Dustin McGowan got the win after allowing 4 hits in 7½ innings. Blue Jays pitchers have a major-league-best 1.02 ERA since April 26.
"I'm just trying to pick up where the other guys left off," McGowan said. "I don't want to be the one to mess up this string of starts for us."
White Sox starters were pretty good, too, allowing just 7 earned runs in the 4 losses.
"They've picked us up, kept us in all these games and given us a chance to win," left fielder Carlos Quentin said. "We want to reciprocate, get them some runs and get them some wins."
The Sox haven't won a game since April 27, when they topped the Baltimore Orioles at U.S. Cellular Field.
"The thing that makes me sad is the way we've pitched," Guillen said. "We can't help our pitching staff to win games. They've kept us in games since we left Chicago and it's been one week with the same offense, nothing really getting going."
Monday's loss was the White Sox' sixth straight and ninth in 12 games. With just 4 hits Monday -- 2 by Juan Uribe -- the Sox' American League-low batting average dropped to .229.
"We've got to keep moving forward and expect the next day to be better than the one before, expect the next day to be a hot day where everyone hits well," Quentin said. "We know we have the potential to do some things offensively."
Blue Jays 1, White Sox 0
At the plate: How bad was the Sox' offense in 4 straight losses at Toronto? How about this -- 5 total runs scored, 16 hits, a .130 batting average. Jermaine Dye and Nick Swisher each were 1-for-15 in the series. The White Sox were held to 4 hits in Monday's defeat, and Juan Uribe had 2 of them. With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning, Pablo Ozuna grounded into a 1-2-3 double play.
On the mound: Javier Vazquez was the latest Sox starter to have a brilliant effort wasted by the offense. Vazquez pitched 72/3 innings and allowed 1 run on 8 hits. He also had 9 strikeouts.